Rajiv Shah

Dr. Rajiv Shah led the efforts of nearly 10,000 staff in more than 70 countries around the world to advance USAID’s mission of ending extreme poverty and promoting resilient, democratic societies.

Under Dr. Shah’s leadership, USAID applied innovative technologies and engaged the private sector to solve the world’s most intractable development challenges. This new model of development brings together an increasingly diverse community—from large companies to local civil society groups to communities of faith—to deliver meaningful results.

Dr. Shah also managed the U.S. Government’s humanitarian response to catastrophic crises around the world, from the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Through an extensive set of reforms called “USAID Forward,” Dr. Shah worked with the United States Congress to transform USAID into the world’s premier development Agency that prioritizes public-private partnerships, innovation, and meaningful results. He currently serves on the boards of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Millennium Challenge Corporation, as well as participates on the National Security Council.

Previously, Dr. Shah served as Undersecretary and Chief Scientist in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he created the National Institute for Food and Agriculture. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, he spent eight years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he led efforts in global health, agriculture, and financial services, including the creation of the International Finance Facility for Immunization.

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, and the Wharton School of Business. He regularly appears in the media and has delivered keynote addresses before the U.S. Military Academy, the National Prayer Breakfast, and diverse audiences across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Shah was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He has served as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and has received multiple honorary degrees.

He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Shivam Mallick Shah and three children and has given up mountain climbing for family bicycle rides.

Honorable Speaker Ethuro, Honorable Governors, Honorable Members of Parliament and the Senate, Honorable Members of the East African Legislative Assembly, Honorable Assembly Speakers and Members, Government Officials, and members of civil society.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to be here with you today. As a representative of one member of the community of democracies, I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with you to discuss and compare notes on how to advance good governance. It is most certainly an evolving practice and one that gains by shared experiences.

Yesterday, the Senate marked I believe $1.7 billion for Feed the Future and everyone in this room has the right to know: Are these resources being used effectively? But we don’t even have the chance to try and prove that if you don’t make bold statements like you did yesterday that you will continue to support successful results oriented initiatives. So, thank you.

If the old model of development, or the more traditional model, was to hire a contractor to build a road, the new model is embedded in much of what the President saw and spoke about with respect to Feed the Future in priority countries: bringing together local farmers, businesses, policy reforms from government, a focus on measurement and results, and an absolute imperative that the resources we spend are in fact delivering significant results.

I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to announce a program that underscores American long-term commitment to Afghanistan and specifically to Afghan women. It’s a partnership we call Promote. We aren’t setting our sights low. We aren’t scaling back our ambitions at this critical point in our history. The Promote Partnership will be the largest investment USAID has ever made to advance women in development.

USAID under the U.S. Feed the Future Initiative supports the Government of Ethiopia’s Agricultural Growth Program with the goals of raising agricultural productivity, improving income earning opportunities for women and the rural poor, and spurring growth in rural areas. The attainment of these goals is to a very large extent, dependent upon the development of policies and systems that encourage resiliency and adaptation to climate changes, private-sector participation and investment, good and transparent governance, and none of these can happen without secure land tenure and property rights.

I am delighted to be here with you this morning to celebrate the launch of Ethiopia’s new National Nutrition Program. We are here today to mark a new phase in our common efforts to improve nutrition for all Ethiopians, particularly those most vulnerable - the young. I congratulate my Ethiopian colleagues for their hard work on developing the new National Nutrition Program and can assure you that the United States strongly supports the program and its objectives.

It is my pleasure to represent the American people at this signing of two agreements to support Project Mercy’s inspiring work to improve the health and livelihoods of communities in Yetebon and Chacha. Shortly after I arrived in Ethiopia in 2010, I had the pleasure of visiting Project Mercy and learning about the wonderful work being done by Marta and Deme. Last January, USAID Administrator Raj Shah and Senator James Inhofe came from Washington to see the remarkable work being done here. I am pleased to be here once again to see the progress that has been made since 2010.

On behalf of USAID, it is my great pleasure to join you today for this special event, as we complete the handover of critical medical equipment to the Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope. I would like to thank our colleagues at the Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope for organizing today’s event. I would also like to thank our colleagues from the Ministry of Health and the Australian Embassy for joining us as well as commend their combined efforts to improve women’s health in Cambodia.

When the Sihanouk Hospital requested USAID assistance to procure equipment to open a Women’s Health Clinic, we recognized the opportunity to contribute toward improving women’s health in Cambodia. The Sihanouk Hospital provides free medical care to Cambodians who have no other options for care. It is a critical and exemplary mission. To date, the hospital has provided more than one million free patient consultations.